July 4, 1805

Thursday July 4th 1805.

Yesterday we permitted Sergt. Gass McNeal and several others who had
not yet seen the falls to visit them. no appearance of tar yet and I am
now confident that we shall not be able to obtain any; a serious
misfortune. I employed a number of hands on the boat today and by 4
P.M. in the evening completed her except the most difficult part of the
work that of making her seams secure. I had her turned up and some
small fires kindled underneath to dry her. Capt. C. completed a draught
of the river from Fort Mandan to this place which we intend depositing
at this place in order to guard against accedents. not having seen the
Snake Indians or knowing in fact whether to calculate on their
friendship or hostility or friendship we have conceived our party
sufficiently small and therefore have concluded not to dispatch a canoe
with a part of our men to St. Louis as we had intended early in the
spring. we fear also that such a measure might possibly discourage
those who would in such case remain, and might possibly hazzard the
fate of the expedition. we have never once hinted to any one of the
party that we had such a scheme in contemplation, and all appear
perfectly to have made up their minds to suceed in the expedition or
purish in the attempt. we all beleive that we are now about to enter on
the most perilous and difficult part of our voyage, yet I see no one
repining; all appear ready to met those difficulties which wait us with
resolution and becoming fortitude. we had a heavy dew this morning. the
clouds near these mountains rise suddonly and discharge their contents
partially on the neighbouring plains; the same cloud will discharge
hail alone in one part hail and rain in another and rain only in a
third all within the space of a few miles; and on the Mountains to the
S. E. of us sometimes snow. at present there is no snow on those
mountains; that which covered them when we first saw them and which has
fallen on them several times since has all disappeared. the Mountains
to the N. W. & W. of us are still entirely covered are white and
glitter with the reflection of the sun. I do not beleive that the
clouds which prevail at this season of the year reach the summits of
those lofty mountains; and if they do the probability is that they
deposit snow only for there has been no perceptible deminution of the
snow which they contain since we first saw them. I have thought it
probable that these mountains might have derived their appellation of
shining Mountains, from their glittering appearance when the sun shines
in certain directions on the snow which covers them. since our arrival
at the falls we have repeatedly witnessed a nois which proceeds from a
direction a little to the N. of West as loud and resembling precisely
the discharge of a piece of ordinance of 6 pounds at the distance of
three miles. I was informed of it by the men several times before I
paid any attention to it, thinking it was thunder most probably which
they had mistaken at length walking in the plains the other day I heard
this noise very distictly, it was perfectly calm clear and not a cloud
to be seen, I halted and listened attentively about an hour during
which time I heard two other discharges and tok the direction of the
sound with my pocket compass. I have no doubt but if I had leasure I
could find from whence it issued. I have thout it probable that it
might be caused by runing water in some of the caverns of those immence
mountains, on the principal of the blowing caverns; but in such case
the sounds would be periodical & regular, which is not the case with
this, being sometimes heard once only and at other times, six or seven
discharges in quick succession. it is heard also at different seasons
of the day and night. I am at a loss to account for this phenomenon.
our work being at an end this evening, we gave the men a drink of
sperits, it being the last of our stock, and some of them appeared a
little sensible of it's effects the fiddle was plyed and they danced
very merrily untill 9 in the evening when a heavy shower of rain put an
end to that part of the amusement tho they continued their mirth with
songs and festive jokes and were extreemly merry untill late at night.
we had a very comfortable dinner, of bacon, beans, suit dumplings &
buffaloe beaf &c. in short we had no just cause to covet the sumptuous
feasts of our countrymen on this day.— one Elk and a beaver were all
that was killed by the hunters today; the buffaloe seem to have
withdrawn themselves from this neighbourhood; tho the men inform us
that they are still abundant about the falls.

July the 4th Thursday 1805

A fine morning, a heavy dew last night, all hands employed in
Completeing the leather boat, gave the Party a dram which made Several
verry lively, a black Cloud came up from the S. W, and rained a fiew
drops I employ my Self drawing a Copy of the river to be left at this
place for fear of Some accident in advance, I have left buried below
the falls a Map of the Countrey below Fort Mandan with Sundery private
papers the party amused themselves danceing untill late when a Shower
of rain broke up the amusement, all lively and Chearfull, one Elk and a
beaver kill'd to day. our Tar kill like to turn out nothing from the
following cause.

The climate about the falls of Missouri appears to be Singular Cloudy
every day (Since our arrival near them) which rise from defferent
directions and discharge themselves partially in the plains &
mountains, in Some places rain others rain & hail, hail alone, and on
the mountains in Some parts Snow. a rumbling like Cannon at a great
distance is heard to the west if us; the Cause we Can't account